Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyndra Frazier.
Hi Kyndra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Since high school, for some reason, I always wanted to live and work in Atlanta. I am a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and any visit to Atlanta during my adolescence and throughout college drew me into the city’s magic.
I will always cherish Atlanta as a second home. In 2005, I moved to Atlanta to work for Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. in a Sales Management position. Within a year I found myself exhausted by the rhythms of corporate America. I didn’t believe I was serving in my purpose. During this time, I felt my contribution to the world was minimal if existent at all. My position after Pepsi was as an Assistant Director for SCORE! Educational Center, working with K through 9th graders to support them in achieving academic success. My stay at SCORE! lasted a span of three months. There was something energetically depleting about doing the same thing day in and day out and doing it in the same office space. At least with Pepsi, I could be in the field visiting diverse accounts. Brinks Home Security became my next stop. I worked a commission only sales position for about a year, having great success in securing the top salesperson for consecutive months. I felt I was ready for a managerial position, so I interviewed and did not get it. This closed door invited me to reflect on the numerous encounters I had visiting the homes of customers that involved me listening to their pain points, making space for their heartbreak, fellowshipping over dinner, and offering prayer. The “no” I received from Brinks Home Security enabled me to fulfill the “yes” I gave Spirit (God) when I was called into ministry at age 14 within the Church of God denomination. At the age of 18, I entered into the Church of God ordination process and knew throughout college that I would go to seminary. I just didn’t know when.
My struggle throughout my adolescence and young adulthood was integrating my spirituality and sexuality. I couldn’t quite see God loving all of who I was. I am a woman committed to journeying with God and God’s people, who also happens to be same-gender loving. By the time the “no” came from Brinks Home Security, I had fully accepted the authenticity of myself and believed that God was my biggest advocate. With this confidence, in 2007 I applied to Candler School of Theology at Emory University and was accepted. Congregational leadership was the concentration of my Master of Divinity degree. Upon graduating, I became a Clinical Pastoral Education Resident at Grady Hospital in the Chaplaincy Department. This position was very difficult yet rewarding. The floor assignment I enjoyed the most was working as the In-Patient Psychiatric Chaplain. In this season of my life, I had no idea what a mental health presentation was, let alone what it meant to facilitate a group with people navigating a variety of mental health vulnerabilities. While running a group on the unit, I was also serving on the Surgery-ICU unit working very closely with clinical social workers. One of my patients was a young African-American man who attempted to castrate himself because he couldn’t conceive that God loved him as a gay man. He believed God was calling him to be a Eunuch because of his attraction to men. This pivotal moment led me to questioning the role that Christian fundamentalism plays in the lives of LGBTQ+ persons who attempt and complete suicide, struggle with eating disorders, or battle with depression and anxiety. My research interests in Religious Trauma began to grow. These inquiries evidenced for me that I was not equipped to journey with this patient as effectively as I desired. This took me to Social Work School to be a better spiritual leader.
In 2012, I moved to New York City to attend Columbia University School of Social Work where I focused on Advanced Clinical Practice. After graduating in 2014, I moved back to Atlanta to work for the Imara Center, a Black-owned Behavioral Health agency, as a Lead Therapist. During this second time around in Atlanta, I became more aware of my desire to pursue pastoral leadership with the ability to also integrate my clinical skills. In 2016, I moved back to New York to become the Founding Executive Director of The HOPE Center, a free mental health clinic in Central Harlem. This clinic is a subsidiary of First Corinthian Baptist Church’s Community Development Corporation. I also served as the church’s Associate Pastor of Congregational Care and Wellness. These positions supported me in deepening my bi-vocational awareness of the necessity of incorporating mental health wellness into ministry. I served in these capacities from 2016-2020.
The pandemic offered me a divine push into social entrepreneurship. In October of 2020, I became a full-time entrepreneur and the CEO of KYND (Knowing Yourself In Need of Devotion) Consulting, Inc. A mental health boutique that offers individuals, couples, and family counseling, spiritual guidance, and trauma-informed training to corporate and non-profit entities. I am grateful for my clients that live in Atlanta and honored to contract with innovative organizations like Fearless Dialogues, founded by the brilliantly creative Atlanta native Dr. Gregory Ellison. It is a gift to support people in aligning with their divine selves through companioning with them on their journey into wholeness. It is equally a gift to love what I do and a joy to still have so many connections in Atlanta. I am looking forward to moving back to Atlanta one day to continue to support people in engaging in holistic wellness.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My path has been filled with the balance of beauty and pain to support me in the forward momentum of my evolutionary journey. Reconciling my spirituality and sexuality was no small feat. The courage to question my familial religious traditions and God has been foundational in my own pursuit of freedom in all aspects of my life, which continues to be a lifelong process. The no’s I have received throughout my life have been entrances into life’s pivots that continue to propel me past the limiting sight I’ve had for myself into divine surprises that expand my awareness of my own capacities and gifts. I remember applying for funding with an organization to pay for a Doctorate of Theology program I was accepted into in 2012. The experience of not receiving that funding led me to apply for Columbia School of Social Work. In 2020 I became acutely aware that my calling was beyond the church and rooted in social entrepreneurship. Launching a start-up in the middle of a pandemic, relocating from New York to Charlotte, navigating the death of a loved one, with another loved one in critical condition all at the same time stretched my psychological and emotional stamina while forcing me to slow down in ways I didn’t know I needed. I’ve come to understand that the things I have perceived as failures have been opportunities to discover myself anew or reframe my perceptions of whatever it is I may be engaging. I have come to know growth as a constant companion within my obstacles and challenges. It is not only what happens to us that shapes us, but what we choose to glean and apply from what has happened for us.
As you know, we’re big fans of KYND Consulting, Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
KYND Consulting, Inc is a trauma-informed mental wellness boutique that provides direct services (individual, couples, and family counseling) and a host of wellness opportunities to underserved communities, particularly African-American and LGBTQ+ identified adults. KYND offers the 6-week training, Belonging: A Trauma-Informed Discovery Series to support organizations in creating cultures of belonging within a trauma-informed lens through ritual, somatic experience, psychoeducation on trauma, and experiential heart-work opportunities. This training launched in 2022 with Wake Forest Divinity School’s Faith Coordinating Center. Additionally, KYND offers Executive Listening sessions for corporations, pre-marital guidance counseling, and wedding officiation.
KYND views spirituality as a tool for resiliency and does not shy away from clients who utilize their faith as a protective factor. KYND specializes in working with LGBTQ+ youth and adults who have been impacted by religious trauma and utilizes Religiously Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to support these populations, along with additional therapeutic modalities. KYND is a vibe. The company uses the heart, love, and tenacity of its CEO and Founder, Kyndra Frazier. In 2019, Kyndra was awarded The American Psychiatric Association’s Minority Achievement Award for her innovation in mental health through her leadership at the HOPE Center. In 2020, she was also voted as one of the Most Influential African-Americans in the country by the Root 100 for breaking barriers to mental health access. Kyndra brings this same innovative energy to the work of KYND. It is truly for our culture, the cultures before us, and those yet to be born.
KYND is about placing a gigantic footprint on planet earth of unconditional love, sweetness, accountability, and devotion. KYND is about committing to the alt of our becoming. This type of commitment to the self only inspires the highest goodness within us all. You can find out more about KYND Consulting, Inc. at www.kyndconsulting.com.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I stand on the shoulders of many and am grateful for the ancestral legacy I was birthed through. Maggie Cochran, Carrie Nail, and Harriet Glover are my maternal great great grandmother, great grandmother, and grandmother respectively. They were the community mothers, missionaries, and hospitality experts within their own contexts. I carry each of them in every aspect of my vocations. My maternal grandfather, Rogers Glover Sr., worked as a Butler for the same White family for 50 years. Through his sacrifice he paid for my undergraduate career, enabling me to graduate from undergrad without any student loans. Sammie and Pamela Frazier, my parents, co-created a home environment that still to this day allows me to feel safe and protected when I step out into the world. They cultivated an awareness in me that all things are possible through my connection with Spirit. Kaylan Frazier, my sister, has been a spiritual companion, comforter, friend, and advocate in ways that have sustained me when the harshness of life has been overwhelming.
Alfred Glover, a maternal uncle, had a large influence on my pursuit for Business Management and his love continues to propel my career. Rev. Brenda Tapia, Founder of the Love of Learning Program, housed on the campus of Davidson College, was the first spiritual leader who invited me into the expansiveness of the Divine beyond religious dogma. She curated a learning environment that introduced me to other religions and ways of being that continue to influence my ever-evolving spiritual journey. Lanny Peters (former Pastor) and Michelle Vaughn-Colwell, Pastor of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, GA saw fit to ordain me into professional ministry. Michael Walrond, Sr. Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem supported me in sharpening my homiletical and pastoral skills, and I am grateful for the opportunity he gave me to serve such a dynamic congregation.
Friends such as Rev. Dr. Gregory Ellison, Rev. Romal Tune, Rev. Kanisha Billingsley, Rev. Aquarius Gilmer, Rev. Estee Dillard, and Ashley Thomas have all loved me into new sight for myself in moments where my own sight failed me. I am also grateful for the clinical support Rev. Gena Jefferson, LCSW has provided through the years. Thank you to professors Dr. Emmanuel Lartey and Dr. Luther Smith of Candler School of Theology whose wisdom and insight assisted me in strengthening my critical analysis and theological engagement. Also, a big thank you to Sala Hilaire for giving me an opportunity to lead as a therapist at her agency. Lastly, thank you to every person who has whispered my name in prayer, sent a positive thought my way, or spoken an empowering word into my life. Your generosity and kindness is not overlooked.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kyndconsulting.com
- Instagram: Kyndra Frazier
- Facebook: Kyndra Frazier
- Linkedin: Kyndra Frazier
- Twitter: KYND Inc.
Image Credits
Ricky Day James Reynolds
